We are proud of our professional staff. Our Director, Teachers, and Teacher Assistants have degrees in Early Childhood Education or related fields. All staff members attend classes, conferences, and workshops pertaining to children of preschool age. All have quality care giving experience and are First Aid and CPR certified. In addition to these staff members, we have wonderful Teacher Aides who have many combined years of experience and the child care setting. We also have a fabulous Cook and Assistant Cook who plan and prepare healthy and nutritious meals for our children on a daily basis. We also have a dedicated core of Substitute Teachers, most of whom have been a part of our program for many years.

Meet our Teachers and Staff

Lisa Jones
Director

Born and raised on a dairy farm in upstate NY. I moved to Boston for 10 years then to the CT shoreline in 2006. Married for 19 years with 2 children. Joined GCC in 2016. I have a BA in psychology and a MA in teaching. I love working with the families of GCC. Outside of work, I love hiking, boating, baking and cooking. You can find me at the beach, in Maine or on my farmland on the weekends.

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Christina Wigham

I have been a teacher at GCC since August of 2000 and have worked in Early Childhood since receiving my associate’s degree at Becker College in 1983. I have been married to my husband Stuart for 35 years and we have two adult children; my son Benjamin and my daughter, GCC’s very own Ms. Amanda! I have lived in Madison my whole life and am the middle sister of 5 girls. I enjoy reading, playing the piano, visiting my son on Long Island and walking my grand dogs in my spare time.

Annalyn Monaco

I have worked in childcare for over 20 years, the last 12 at GCC. I have a daughter who is a special education teacher and is getting married in October 2022! I lived in Guilford for 25 years, but currently reside in Shelton. I love doing jigsaw puzzles, drinking coffee and spending time with my family.

Lindsay Smith

Born an 80’s baby! I grew up on the Madison shoreline and then headed up North to attend college in New Hampshire. I moved to Boston and taught preschool in the city for 6 years before moving back to my hometown and starting at GCC in 2016. This is my 9th year here and I am thrilled to be integrating a new literacy and math curriculum into the older classrooms! My dog Charlie and I live on a farm, and we love taking day trips to Newport, Mystic and Block Island.

Amanda Wigham

I’ve been working at GCC for 10 years! I love gardening in the summer, taking trips to the beach and spending time with my dog Tucker! I am a great cook and love to bake with the kids here at school! My mom is Ms. Chris, a teacher in the yellow room!

Irene Schiff

I am a retired Executive Assistant and am excited to be working here at GCC! Along with my husband, we have 12 grandchildren from newborn to 18 years old. I love gardening and baking and going to the beach! Being a sub here at GCC for the past 2 years has been such a joy! I love working with the children!

Krista Wells

Hi! Krista here! I have been working in Early Childhood Education for many years. I love the preschool age because I enjoy doing interactive activities with the children. I love soy lattes, playing tennis and going on the Hammonassett Trail. I also have a deep love for Celine Dion and astrology!

Elaina Cerilli

Hello, my name is Elaina and I have had the privilege of being a part of GCC since 2020, after spending over 15 years teaching at my previous center. I was excited to join the GCC community and the team of amazing and creative teachers here! I received my ECE degree and just love what I do! I am committed to providing you and your child a loving and developmentally sound classroom for a lifetime love of learning. Outside of school I am a wife and a mother of two amazing boys aged 5 and 9. We live in Durham. In my free time I am with my family, in my garden or working on a DIY project!

Deb Bango

I love working with children, music and having fun! I am often the one starting dance parties on the playground with a Kidz Bop hit list! I enjoy writing my own songs and dancing, though I’m not too good at either! I also love science! I have two wonderful pups at home and a Gary. Relaxing on the beach is where you can find me outside of school.

Debby Riccio

Before joining GCC, I ran the kitchen services at A.W Cox Elementary School for many years. This is my second year as a classroom aide and I love laughing, singing and dancing with the children. I love to travel to Bermuda, Rhode Island, Mystic and am often walking around the center of Guilford.

Heather Hedberg

I have 6 grandchildren, one who attends school here at GCC! I am thrilled to be here subbing and spending time with the children reading to them and doing puzzles among other things! I have my bachelor's degree in Medical Technology. I love to visit Cape Cod, garden, cross stitch and keep busy with home projects!

Jocelyn Delfranco

I just joined the GCC community and am so excited to be working with children! I am a graduate of Guilford High School and love to sing, crochet and bake (especially cherry pie!). I have a goal of one day having an Etsy shop to sell the things I crochet. I have a large dog named Yeti and like traveling to Vermont and visiting Chittenden Park!

Alisa Proctor

This is my first year working at GCC but I have been working with children for 30 years! I love doing arts and crafts, reading and getting creative at circle time in the classroom! I have two daughters, a son in law and a beautiful granddaughter named Sara. I enjoy gardening, decorating, rejuvenating old furniture and going to Jacobs Beach and Disney World!

Adriana Basso

Hola! My name is Adriana Basso, I am so glad to join the GCC community. I have been working with children for the last 6 years. I have a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) as a Bilingual Preschool Teacher. Currently, I’m study to get the CT head teacher certification. My goal as a caregiver is to offer children positive experiences that support their development and help them to feel confident and valued. I came from Venezuela 7 years ago and studied English for 3 years in NYC. I have a Bachelor degree as a journalist. I am a wife and a mother of Mateo. I love to spend time with my family. Also, I enjoy creating educational content for my social networks and playing violin.

Dana Meade

Hello! I am Ms. Dana. This is my first year at GCC, and I am very excited to be the classroom aide in the purple room. I was a stay at home mom for 9 years, and began working at a preschool last year when my youngest began kindergarten. I love this age group because they are so smiley, sweet, and fun! I am truly looking forward to getting to know your children this year. Outside of school, I love hanging with my family and friends, the beach, reading and cooking.

Dawn DeCarli

I was born in Connecticut, went to school in RI and graduated from Johnson and Wales. I lived in Stamford for 18 years, where I was a restaurant manager and caterer. I also started my own babysitting service called The Children’s Sitting Network. I have two grown children, two dogs, two cats and two fish! I have been a nanny and in the restaurant business for 40 years and I’m now happy to be at GCC!

Gina Whitmore

Hello, my name is Gina, I have been part of the Guilford community for many years. I have lived in Guilford when my boys were younger. Now that they are all grown up, I reside in Branford! I have been with GCC Before & After Care for 15 years! I love working with children of all ages and am so happy to join GCC Early Education Center! The preschoolers here are so fun. You can tell all of the kids enjoy their days here and are always so happy, bright and ready to learn! I am happy to be a part of their days!

Emma McSweet

Hello! My name is Emma and I’m so excited to be joining the GCC community! I grew up in Guilford and just recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BFA in Printmaking and a minor in Psychology. I have worked in Early Childhood for about 5 years now and am looking forward to continuing my journey working with kids. I love all things art related and hope to include my love for creativity in the classroom! I enjoy spending my free time hanging out with my family and friends, shooting film photos, going to the beach and thrifting!

Amanda Windhurst

Hello! I am Amanda. Growing up in Narragansett Rhode Island, I am a lover of the water. I live in Guilford and have been here for about 10 years. with my daughter, our dog, and two cats. I have B.S. in early childhood education and enjoy working with young children and helping them to create a foundation for a love of learning. I am a nature lover, enjoy outdoor activities, spending time with my family and friends! Mystic is one of my favorite places to visit in CT.

Alisha Stringer

Hello! My name is Miss Alisha. I am so excited to be joining the GCC team. I have worked with young children for 9 years and am working towards finishing my degrees in Early Childhood Education & Psychology. I am a nature lover! I enjoy the local beaches and hiking trails. I also enjoy all sorts of crafts including watercolor painting, pottery, and jewelry making. I like to unwind by reading a delightful book or watching fantasy/adventure movies. Most of all, my favorite pastime is spending quality time with my two children!

Jessica Palumbo

I have worked in early childhood education for 15 years. I have my associates degree in early childhood education from Post University. I’ve been a volunteer with the Branford Fire Department for 21 years. What I love most about teaching is seeing a child achieve their goals and how excited they get! In my free time I enjoy camping, snowmobiling and spending time with family and friends.

Meet our Specials Teachers

Jonathan Kehew
To the GCC kids I'm Mr. Jonathan, the guy who sings, plays, teaches and reads to them every other Wednesday! They probably don't know I have 200,000 subscribers and well over 500 videos on my YouTube guitar lesson channel (www.youtube.com/jkehew1) and even more videos on my website (www.song-bike.com) I've written many books and one was recently published by Hal Leonard Publications (https://www.halleonard.com/product/348999/easy-guitar-chord-lead-tricks) And my wife Cheryl and I opened our music school in Old Saybrook 17 years ago, www.corner-music.com. It all started for me in 1979 when I began studying drums and orchestral percussion (thank Mom & Dad!) Soon came guitar, banjo, mandolin, voice and piano. I knew right away I was going to spend my life playing music - at ten I asked my band director when I should join the musicians' union! After graduating from Northwestern University I have made a living: performing music writing music repairing instruments managing a music store hosting a radio show recording an album of original songs producing and engineering for other artists teaching music since 1992 in homes, music stores, public schools, private schools, my living room, on TV and online. My students have ranged from 3-83 and include many Special Needs children and adults. Now that my son is heading off to college I especially enjoy my experiences with the GCC kids. I look forward to Wednesdays as much as they do! It's a real privilege to be on the GCC team.
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Audrey Mento
Language
Audrey is a native French speaker who was born and raised near Paris, France. She earned a B.A. in Spanish from Paris XIII University. She has two daughters who have been brought up in a bilingual household. They also share her love and passion for languages. Audrey has taught French and Spanish to Lower School and Middle School students for 15 years at The Country School in Madison. Using the experience she acquired over the years, she developed a fun and relaxed teaching approach in which children and adults feel comfortable and thrive learning a language. She enjoys interacting with students of all ages and she feels very fortunate to be able to combine her professional training, her love of languages and her natural disposition to teach her students effectively. Her absolute goal is to personally engage with each and every student, and make each and every class as fun as possible to maximize learning. Her greatest reward is seeing her students progress and share their joy of learning and speaking their second language! Audrey is passionate about teaching languages and sharing the culture of the French and Spanish speaking countries.
Don Dione
Soccer
Don is native to south central CT being born in New Haven and growing up in Clinton. Both of Don’s parents were teachers and instilled in him a love of education. Don earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and managed a cardiovascular research laboratory at Yale University, School of Medicine for over 17 years. Recently, Don earned his Master’s degree in Sports Science, with an emphasis in coaching, from the United States Sport’s Academy. Soccer has been a passion for Don for over 35 years. He started playing when he was 10 years old and continued playing competitively through college. After his playing days, Don turned to coaching as a way to give back to the sport he loves. He has coached at multiple levels including youth teams (ages 3-14), middle school teams, high school teams, and collegiate teams for over 15 years. Don currently coaches for South Central Premier and is part of the women team’s staff at Quinnipiac University. Don lives in Deep River with his wife Donna, and their twins, Dakota and Donnie.
Amy Forbes
Tree House Players
Amy is a teaching artist, educator and professional actress and singer. She merged these professions in 2007 when she founded Treehouse Players, a children’s theatre adventure. In THP, Amy combines nurturing children’s creative spirits with her passion for theatre, music, story and dance. Amy prides herself on her flexible and collaborative spirit. She encourages teachers to work with her to create arts-integrated workshops and residencies where she develops and adapts lessons for differentiated learning. Amy assesses individual learning methods, often in the moment, and implements curriculum based on the group’s needs. Amy utilizes children’s literature and creative arts to engage children of all ages and abilities, guiding them through a theatrical journey, from improvisation to creation to expression. Amy engages children through THP adventures, schools, libraries and community events. She brings positive energy, a wealth of life experience and a passion for children to find, develop and use their voices with strength.
Ruth Dwyer
Art Specialist
Ruth is a facilitator of the art experience and provides guided exploration of all art processes including painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, textiles, printmaking, mosaic, and large collaborative installations. Her work with children was recognized in her district when she was nominated Teacher of the Year in 2007. Her love for teaching art was known throughout her career in RSD13. As a new retiree she looks forward to working with children and staff at GCC and sharing her passion for art making. Ruth is a practicing artist and enjoys painting a variety of subject matters. Her work has been accepted in juried shows through MAS, CAS, and FWWML. Her continued professional development has included workshops at Wadsworth Atheneum, Peabody Museum, Creative Arts Workshop, Guilford Art Center, and trainings through her memberships with CAEA and NAEA. In 2019 she traveled to the foothills of Tuscany to paint the Italian countryside. Ruth promotes engagement through storytelling, puppetry, animation, and movement. Her love of nature weaves through many of the art processes she provides. Her favorite thing about being an art teacher is witnessing the moments of complete and uninhibited joy as a child gets lost in the process of the art experience.